PAN (Translated by RAWA), September 17, 2008

A Young Afghan Girl is Injured After being Raped

"The action of the government had been poor as usually the criminals and rapists had been freed instead of being punished"

Five people, including a policeman, have been arrested in Takhar as they might be involved in raping and injuring a young girl.

Officer Ziauddin Mahmoodi, the Security Commander of Takhar told PAN that this incident had occurred three nights backs to an 18-year old girl in the Hazar Samch district.

Mahmoodi added that five people including a police commander of the security of Hazar Samch had gang-raped this girl who lived in her home with some children.

He said that the girl told one of the rapists that she had recognized him and he had intended to kill her with a bullet of his gun but she got away with an injury.

The Security Commander of Takhar added that the people of the area were informed of the matter and the rapists with the policeman who was armed had escaped; but the police had been able to detain them.

Dr. Ashrafuddin Ayni, the head of the Central Hospital of Taliqan said that his medical prove that the girl had been gang-raped. Ayni also added that the bullet had pierced the girl’s abdomen and after treatment she had been released from the hospital.

Nasir Ahmad one of the girl’s relatives told PAN, “The rapists are powerful and armed and are also involved in thefts. We want the government to execute them so that no more people can harm other people’s honor.

The Court of Takhar province sentenced 21-year old Askar Mohammad to death for raping and killing an 8-year old girl in May this year.

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Mohammad Zahir Zafari the person in charge of the Human Rights Commission in the North-east zone, pronounced the rapes as ‘shocking’ and ‘great violation of human rights’ and demanded the punishment of the people involved.

He claimed that it is possible that this year the cases of rape and violence increase, and the action of the government had been poor as usually the criminals and rapists had been freed instead of being punished.

This year, several cases of rape of girls, especially young girls, had taken place in the North of the country.

The rape of a 12-year old girl in Sar-e-Pul can be one such case. Five armed men had raped this girl after beating up her family.

Afterwards, President Hamid Karzai ordered investigation in the matter and ordered the Interior Affairs Minster and deputy of National Security to examine the matter and arrest and punish severely the criminals.

Then the Interior Affairs Ministry fired five security officers of Sar-e-Pul, including a Security Commander, for being involved in the case of the rape.

Zimarai Bashari, spokesman of Interior Ministry said that out of the five armed people who had raped the girl, two have been arrested and the a serious search is on for finding the other three.

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